1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to container contents verification. More particularly, this invention relates to methods, systems and devices for verification of the contents of containers, preferably large shipping containers.
2. Background
Assuring a safe and efficient flow of cargo and people through the ports and container facilities of the world is critical to a vibrant global economy. The economy and well-being of all nations requires a safe and effective transportation and shipping system. The global economy necessitates that the ports of a nation be capable of handling import and export trade in a manner that assures a nation""s citizens and the foreign trading and business community that the risk experienced will be at acceptable and predictable levels.
Marine transportation is an integral component of almost every nation""s transportation system. Marine transportation""s efficient operation is critical to a nation""s ability to engage in global trade. For example, in the United States, no matter how modem and efficient the highway, rail and air systems are, alone they cannot serve the needs of the global economy. Further, international trade is expected to triple by the year 2020, making the need for efficient operation of marine transportation even more critical.
In the United States there are about 355 ports that handle cargo at some 4,000 marine terminals. Of these ports, 150 account for about 99 percent of cargo tonnage. The United States is the destination of about 18 percent of all world import tonnage, and about 30 percent of all world merchant vessels call at U.S. ports annually. Ports and marine terminals are the interchange points between the various modes of transportation (e.g., ship, train, truck, etc.). Any bottlenecks at ports will therefore adversely affect the flow of cargo to its ultimate destination.
How well cargo moves through a port determines the success of that port, and, ultimately, of the trading nation. However, quick movement of cargo through a port must be balanced with the need for safety and security. Cargo security and sanctity have always been problems. Assuring cargo security becomes more difficult as the quantity of cargo increases. This difficulty is exacerbated by so-called just-in-time delivery and just-in-time manufacturing. Further, cargo theft, terrorism, smuggling (of drugs, arms and people) all will increase, creating an increased need for container and passenger examinations and inspections.
The basic tool today for monitoring cargo is the manifest. The cargo manifest is the basis of commercial agreements, e.g., assuring that what is shipped is what ultimately arrives at its destination. Cargo manifests are also the basis of monitoring hazardous cargo stowage, proper freight rate assessments and assessing customs duties.
Ports have always proved to be high-risk zones for any government to deter potential security threats. In today""s security climate, the threat from arms, drugs, people, hazardous cargo and terrorism are among the biggest threats of penetration. Two additional economic security threats exist that are becoming of equal concern in ports. These threats are: container manifest fraud and cargo theft. Manifest fraud includes the introduction of illicit cargo after the manifest has been created or the omission from the manifest of already present cargo.
All security threats are ultimately ones of economic scale since any nation that cannot protect its citizens from terrorism, illegal drugs and illegal arms and which cannot assure enforcement of its custom laws or provide an environment conducive to commercial exchange cannot effectively compete in the world economy.
Cargo manifesting in a non-complex environment may be adequate, but in complex environments, it becomes increasingly inadequate and insecure.
This invention solves the above and other problems by providing methods, systems and devices for verification of the contents of containers, preferably large shipping containers.
Generally, a manifest declaring and detailing the contents of a cargo container is created. The manifest includes an image, preferably a backscatter X-ray image, of the contents of the container. The image is stored and, later, at an appropriate time and place, retrieved for comparison with a current image of the container""s contents.
This approach allows for non-intrusive anomaly detection of contraband or of other inconsistencies between what was supposedly shipped in a cargo container and its present contents.
Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention is a method of verifying the contents of a cargo container. The method comprises acquiring an image of the cargo container and of the contents of the cargo container; and storing the image with a manifest associated with the cargo container. In some preferred embodiments, the image is a backscatter X-ray image of the cargo container. In some preferred embodiments, the image is a transmission X-ray image of the cargo container. In some embodiments, the manifest is sent to another location; and at the other location, a second image of the contents of the cargo container is acquired and compared with the image stored with the manifest associated with the cargo container. In some preferred embodiments, the second image is selectively acquired, based on a profile for the cargo container. The profile may be based on information derived from the manifest associated with the cargo container, e.g., on the cargo container""s outbound port, shipping vessel, country of origin, and weight differences between the shipped cargo container and the arriving cargo container.